Reproductive Health & Justice Initiative

Our Reproductive Health and Justice Initiative allows us to examine the impacts of race, sexuality, class, economic status, educational status and ability on an individual’s capacity to live autonomously and engage fully in civil society. With our support, grassroots organizations have solidified bases of social justice movements, defeated harmful legislation, increased access to reproductive and sexual health education and care, shifted the terms and framework of national debates on gentrification, gender, and reproductive health. (Read more about our grant partners.)

Reproductive Health stems from healthy personal and social circumstances. If we don’t have economic health and well-being, fair and affordable housing, quality education, freedom from violence, then we do not have reproductive health. And we won’t have reproductive freedom or reproductive health rights until we have a just society; until our movement addresses the barriers to freedom. – Mia Herndon, Executive Director

Third Wave created the RHJI in 2003 to help build solidarity and movement between young people, particularly young women of color and transgender youth, who have been overlooked, unheard, or tokenized within the larger movement. Their communities are also the ones still struggling for a very basic notion of reproductive freedom. The Initiative is grounded in the view that reproductive rights are a fundamental human right, and that these rights cannot be fully expressed or enjoyed unless people have access to the means to fulfill them.

The RHJI has supported over 50 young women and trans youth-led groups across the country and their diverse range of strategies and tactics. They work on a range of issues such as direct services, public education, alternative healing methods, campaigning for better policies, and more; building upon the gains of earlier reproductive rights freedom fights.

Based on our funding strategies, we DO NOT FUND

individual efforts

national organizations or their chapters or programs

intermediaries or subsidiaries

organizations outside of the United States

organizations with budgets exceeding $500,000

one-time events.

Also, please note that we only accept one grant application per organization per year.

When you donate to the Third Wave Foundation, you support the dynamic and evolving face of the feminist movement. You help sustain future generations of feminist activists who are engaged in front-line work to create a just world.